The Endless Labourer
by Melancholic Zero
Summary: The three servants at the Phantomhive Manor try to carry on work as usual when Sebastian and Ciel are away on a trip, but soon they learn they'll have an important job to do after all. M for lemon, swearing, and violence. WillxGrell BardxFin
1. Chapter 1: Reunion

**Name: The Endless Labourer**  
><strong>Sypnosis: The three servants at the Phantomhive Manour try to carry on work as usual when Sebastian and Ciel are away on a trip, but soon they learn they'll have an important job to do after all.<strong>  
><strong>Rating: M for sexual conduct, swearing, and violence<strong>  
><strong>Style- DramaYaoi**  
><strong>Please enjoy, and R&amp;R~ Reviews are like candy for me, I can't get enough!<strong>

xxxxx

Bardroy was not prepared for the intense pain he would feel upon waking. It felt as if someone had hit his head, cut it open, and let it drain, all at the same time. He sat up immediately, regretting it once another wave of dizziness hit him. He reached into one of his pockets, fingers groping deperately for a fag. His searching digits finally found what he was looking for, and he pulled a lighter out from beside his pillow twice as fast. Just as he got ready to light it, he felt a hand close around his sleeve and a quiet voice break the silence:

"Uhm...could you...um..." It was Finny, he seemed tired and flustered "Could you please do that outside?"

The light on Baldroy's lighter went out immediately. He had forgotten the effects his smoking habit had on young Finny, every time he lit a fag Finny would cough and cough until tears sprang to his eyes and rolled down his cheeks that had flushed a rosy red colour. "Of course..." he looked down at Finny, who must have had another nightmare. The young boy had frequent night terrors and would curl up next to Bardroy for comfort.

Walking outside, Bardroy shivered in the cold air. In the winter, it was always unbearably cold outside. Bardroy realized that was not the main issue right now, he sat down on a bench and opened his lighter back up, wanting to take a smoke. The momement the burning stick touched his lips, however, he threw it to the ground and stomped it out. It tasted different, disgusting and dizzying like the beginning of his morning. He put his head in his hands _What's wrong with me...I feel as if I lost something important to me. _He pulled out his gloves and heavy jacket and put them on, they didn't help his feel warm and he suspected he looked ridiculous. He was about to take it all off when he inhaled through his nose and smelled the delicious aroma of breakfast from the mansion. He briefly wondered who could possibly be making breakfast, Sebastian and Ciel would be gone on one of their trips, and he soon forgot to care. He rushed into the house and noticed Finny and Mey-Rin also walking to the kitchen like tired, starving zombies.

Bardroy smiled in delight when he saw the cook who had served food at the table "Agni! It's been a while!"

Agni glanced at him and smiled "Good morning"

"Agni and I came here to see Ciel!" Soma said, looking up from his breakfast with a grin "But we noticed there were some other guests here and you weren't awake, so Agni made breakfast~" after stating this, Soma continued eating. Bardroy allowed himself to look across the table and see the other two guests. There was a young man, smartly dressed with rectangular glasses and an annoyed expression. Bardroy's heart sunk when he saw the other guest, the feminine man with long brown hair and a constantly guilty expression on his face.

Bardroy sighed "It's been an even longer while, Grell."

"Oh, um, yes. It has, hasn't it? I haven't had much reason to visit since the Madame died..." Grell gasped for no apparent reason and continued to take small bites of his food. The man sitting next to him seemed to be attempting to hide an incredulous look on his face.

"Mmm, yeah. Shame, that was." Bardroy sat down at the table "So, who's the other guy and why are you two here?"

The man spoke "My name is William T. Spears, and our reasons for being here are classified!" He said, almost too enthusiastically.

"We saw some shady characters walking around, and we wanted to make sure everything was fine." Grell said in between bites, recieving a dirty look from William.

Bardroy wondered if these two worked together, or maybe they were just plain together. Bardroy had always had the slightest of suspicions that the young Grell was gay. He shook his head, taking a bite of his food. It must have tasted good, but all it did was make Bardroy feel sick. Frowning in dissapointment, he looked at his breakfast companions. Soma wasn't hesitant at all, he ate as if he had been starving for weeks. William ate small bites at a time, legs crossed and eyes closed. Grell picked at his food more than he ate, and he kept looking around the table with the same terrified gleam in his eyes. Mey-Rin was the most normal, eating the food with a smile n her face and thanking Agni every few seconds. Finny made a "mmmm" sound with every bite, relishing the meal as if it would be the last one he ever ate. Tanaka was drinking his tea, not even touching the food.

Bardroy tried to focus on Mey-Rin, she was, after all, the only girl that ever seemed to stay in the mansion long enough for Bardroy to get to know her. She was pretty, cute, funny, and extremely fun when drunk, but Bardroy couldn't bring himself to like her. She was like a younger sister to him, he always wanted to pat her on the head whenever she did anything clumsy. But there was nothing more than that between them, and Bardroy knew it.

Thinking of Mey-Rin brought back memories of the old days. More specifically, he remembered meeting Finny. For months, he had thought the gardener was a girl, Finny was incredibly young back then and loved wearing colourful ribbons on his hat. One day, however, he walked in on Finny changing into work clothes and learned he was male, albeit after a lot of embarassed confusion on Bardroy's part.

Finny was like Mey-Rin, too. Bardroy felt a similar pulse of affection for him. Nothing more.

After all, Finny was a male, so Bardroy couldn't possibly like him. _Right?_

William ate his food slowly, as if with purpose. Millions of thoughts roared through his mind, each one about his current situation. He had been tracking a certain dangerous demon for a long, long time, and was finally able to track its whereabouts to this estate. It hadn't been here long, Wiliam was sure of that, and it wasn't contracted like Sebastian was. _An uncontracted demon is a dangerous demon_ William thought, _At least contracted ones are kept on a leash._

William glanced to his right, pushing up his glasses to better see the Reaper beside him. He was surprised, quite pleasantly, when Grell insisted on taking on his disguised form. Perhaps he liked to practice acting, William did not care. William had the sneaking suspicion Grell  
>liked to disguise not only to practice, but to annoy William. William had failed that portion of reaper training miserably, while Grell had passed with flying colours. William simply could not alter his appearance or attitude beyond recognition. But...the shy way Grell approached matters, the timid attempt at every motion he undertook, it was all so different from the red-haired, flaming Shinigami William knew so very well.<p>

Grell looked up at William as if responding to his thoughts, his round glasses from his training days slipping down the bridge of his nose. His lips were pursed in a confused manner, and William had to force himself to look away.

That form drove William crazy in more ways than one. Long brown hair, clumsy attitude, eyes begging for attention, those were all things that William absolutely _loved_. It was too much, he couldn't even begin to understand how that just happened to be the form Grell had chosen.

In order to keep these thoughts away, William spoke, knowing he was probably inturrupting that one Soma boy "We will need to stay here for a while, the 'shady' character Grell discribed is suspected to be a dangerous criminal. It is our job to ensure the safety of this mansion and all who live on or near it."

The Soma boy spoke up "Well, we have a regular fighting force over here! First Agni, now you guys! All we need is Sebastian-"

"No we don't." William was quick to interrupt "He'd only get in the way."

Everyone turned their heads to look at William, confused. The servant girl spoke up "Oh, my my! Do you know him? You seem like you don't like him, no you don't! Do tell, yes?"

William didn't bother replying, he shot Grell a glare to make sure he didn't, either "Just carry on your duties as usual. Is there anywhere we can stay?"

The servant girl spoke again "Well, since we have so many guests, you two would have to share a bed-"

William paused_ Oh no. Not with Grell, I'm not. No way in hell_. "Is there any other way?"

"Well, not really. I mean, it would have to be two people to a bed, and my bed is the only other one that's-"

"I'll take that one." William said simply, figuring this maid would be less likely to rape him. He heard an aggravated cry from beside him, the cry of an actor trying desperately to remain in character while getting a point across:

"M-Mister William! That is not something you demand of a lady!" Outrage shone on Grell's face, while a surprised expression followed by a blush appeared on the face of the servant girl.

"Why not?"

"It's rude!" Grell exclaimed, tightening his hair bow "And do you really hate me that much...?" he put his finger to his lips, eyes round and sad-looking. William growled, looking away

"You're sleeping on the couch, Grell."

Grell didn't say another word, dangerously close to breaking character. A sigh escaped William _Oh, this mission will be fun, I'm sure..._

William watched one of the servants leave the table. It was a middle-aged man, looking sick and uncomfortable as he left the table. He spoke "Thank you for the food, please excuse me."

**_Now now, you weren't expecting hentai so early on, were you? Ehe~ Nope, this'll have quite a story to it, you know. Please read and review to say what you think, I love listening to reader input!_**


	2. Chapter 2: Warmth

The cold water that Bardroy splashed on his face did little to snap him out of his stupor. After excusing himself from the table, he had run to the bathroom in an attempt to get a grip on things. _I must be ill, _he thought to himself with a loud sigh, sitting himself down on the closed toilet suit to rest. "Maybe I _should_ lay off of the smokes. I'm really not as energetic as I used to be…"

This reasoning appeased him for only a few seconds. He knew the cause of this problem, but did not dare think of it, it brought back too many painful memories. _I have a new life here…I don't need to think about any of it any more…none of the war…nothing of that man…nothing… _Bardroy looked in the mirror again, grinning toothily "I'm fine!" he announced to no one in particular "Hell, I'm better than fine! This is great news!" Without bothering to remove his ridiculous attire, Bardroy grabbed the door and swung it open, marching back to the table with a grin still on his face.

"Musta been one helluva poop!" Soma said, looking at Bardroy's grin and laughing.

"Hunh?" Bardroy stared at him in confusion until he remembered where he had been "Uh…no, I wasn't-"

"So then what _were_ you doing?" Soma asked, smile never fading. Bardroy couldn't think of a reply to what he thought Soma might be implying, so he decided chucking a glass at Soma's head would be answer enough. Agni caught the glass well before it his master, speaking:

"I implore you; please do not throw things at my master."

Soma stuck his tongue out at Bardroy; Bardroy retaliated with a flip of his middle finger, an action which confused Soma. Not wanting to waste his time explaining the offensive gesture, Bardroy turned to William, who had finished eating and now looked deep in though.

"Hey, Will, what-"

"William."

"Okay, fine. William." Bardroy rolled his eyes "Is there anything we can do to help? I'm rather uneasy about us just sitting here if someone is out prowling the mansion."

"There is no need to worry. I am a professional, after all."

"A professional what?"

"A professional." William didn't continue, he simply stood up and turned away. Grell sighed, standing up as well and, keeping his head ducked, stood at William's side.

Apparently, this made Soma decide to risk getting glass in his face again "So are you guys a couple or what?" he asked, seeming genuinely curious. Williams only reply was an icy glare directed right at Soma, who did not even flinch "Hey, I was just asking!"

"Well next time 'just ask' a question that makes sense" William said, his expression never changing a bit. He was obviously trying to ignore Grell laughing behind him, but the twitch of his eyebrow gave away his annoyance.

Finny rose, apparently not paying any attention to what was going on "Bard? Would you come with me to the garden?" His voice had a sugary sweetness too it, like the voice of a child trying to get a new toy "I don't want to get hurt by any scary person, but I have chores to do…"

"Sure" Bardroy shrugged "But do you really need to do them? It's covered in snow outside!"

"Well, there's the greenhouse!" Finny exclaimed, obviously knowing much more about the subject than Bardroy. His rosy cheeks flushed with excitement "It's so pretty in there this time of year!" Finny grabbed onto Bardroy's wrist tightly, his grip surprisingly strong, and he dragged Bardroy out of the house like he was a paper doll. Bardroy found himself running to keep pace with Finny so that he could avoid getting dragged along in the snow.

Finally, the pair reached the greenhouse, and Bardroy let out a sigh of happiness as soon as he was outside of the cold winter air. The greenhouse was large and beautiful; it emanated a cheery glow and was filled with a multitude of flowers and small crops.

Ever since he had started to feel sick, Bardroy had been unable to feel normal. But now, in this cozy greenhouse hidden on the estate, he realized how content he was. He sat down on one of the padded chairs in the center, watching Finny work.

For having such dangerous strength, Finny handled the plants with surprising delicacy. Watering, trimming, checking each plant, it seemed like an awful lot of work to Bardroy. He was never a patient man; he preferred to get things done swiftly and easily, almost as an instinct. But when it came to Finny…Bardroy realized he could watch him all day and not get bored. His wandering mind pictured Finny in a green, flowing dress, a slight amount of makeup on his face along with a smile. These thoughts made Bardroy realize just how much he wanted Finny to be female, and then he began to wonder if it mattered. _I'm not gay._ Bardroy decided _Finny is a woman, just with the wrong parts. It's normal to love a woman…_

Finny continued with his work, humming a tune Bardroy did not recognize. He swung his hips as he walked every once in a while, it was almost impossible to notice, but Bardroy saw it right away. He stood up, walking over to Finny and wrapping his arms around him.

"What do you need, Bard?" Finny asked, turning his head to look at him.

"You know, you're pretty good at gardening, kid." Bardroy answered, then immediately felt stupid _Really? I mean come on! How stupid was that?_

"Oh, thanks! I do my best! Heh~" Finny grinned, holding onto the arms around him and swinging back and forth "Because I love my job and everyone at the estate!"

Bardroy nodded "Me too…I suppose."

The grin on Finny's face disappeared and he appeared to be deep in thought for a few seconds "Hey Bard….is it only men and women that can like each other?"

"What's this all of a sudden?" Shocked, Bardroy tilted his head _What a random question!_

"I mean, can people of the same gender like…..like-like each other?"

Bardroy stared, open-mouthed, at Finny's curious face. There were no words to describe his shock at Finny's question. No words to describe the frightening coincidence. No words to-

_Aw, fuck it._ Bardroy stopped staring incredulously and leaned forward, his lips brushing against Finny's trembling ones before pressing forward, kissing him forcefully.

Finny's eyes widened now, but after only a seconds his thin lips parted and he consented, sharing a deep kiss with Bardroy on the cold winter morning, bathed in the warm lights of the greenhouse.

xxxxxxx

William frowned, walking through the snow as quickly as possible "Sutcliff, keep up with me."

Grell was lagging behind, wrapped up in a thick coat and shivering. The cold had somehow managed to redden his face "C-can we go inside soon? It's c-cold-d-d…."

William felt himself sigh "Just a little while longer of searching, and then we'll go inside."

The two of them had been outside for several hours, every couple of seconds Grell would complain about the cold, and William had learned to tune him out. At least his constant whining reminded William of who this brown-haired butler really was. There had been neither hide nor hair of the demon on the property. William even found himself doubting his observances; maybe he had really only seen Sebastian, after all.

He sneezed, covering his nose and mouth with one sleeve. His clothes didn't help him s stay warm, the thin suit doing little to nothing against the cold, cold air. His nose was numb, and for a second William wondered if his face was as red as Grell's. He sneezed again, and Grell spoke, sounding worried:

"Are you all right, Will?"

"I'm fine!" William's voice had a sharp bite to it that was instantly demolished by another sneeze.

Pressure appeared on William's arm and he realized Grell had grabbed it "We should go back. You'll catch a cold out here." William realized he was being dragged back into the house.

"No, Sutcliff. We need to-"

"We need to go back into the house and not be so cold. You know that." Grell smiled, walking into the mansion with William in tow. There was a fire roaring in the fireplace, and that became the pair's apparent destination. Tanaka was already sitting there, sipping his tea. He looked over at the two of them and smiled pleasantly, laughing for a few seconds.

Bothered by this, William sat down in front of the fire. As much as he hated to admit it, he had been very, very cold out there. He looked to his right to see Grell sit down beside him, hugging his knees to his chest. William noticed that Grell's body had always been kind of awkward, his limbs thin and weak-looking, yet it was endearing in its own way, like a puppy that would trip over its own feet. William shook his head _I really need to stop comparing Grell to a puppy. I mean…really?_

"So do you think we'll be safe tonight?" William asked, then added hastily "From what we were looking for, I mean."

"Sure. I doubt it even knows we're here."

"Oh ho ho ho ho…" Tanaka was laughing again, Grell smiled pleasantly, back in character:

"Is something funny?"

Tanaka just shrugged, taking another sip of his tea. Grell sighed and turned back to William "I think we might want to head to bed soon, we haven't seen anything all day, so we should be fine."

William frowned "I suppose so…..I didn't bring any work with me….darn it…."

"Oh, come on. You need some sleep." Grell said, looking out the window "The sun's setting."

"So?"

"So it'll be dark soon! We need a lot of sleep to prepare for the morning!" Grell stood up, brushing himself off.

William sighed, stretching before standing. He actually was looking forward to a nice, warm bed. He walked upstairs to the guest room with Grell "Change into your pajamas in a bathroom."

"Whyyy? We're both guys!"

"That's the first time I think you've admitted that."

Grell pouted, grabbing a suitcase and leaving the room. William unbuttoned his dress shirt, it was soaking wet by now. He took off his pants and noticed a mirror. He stared at it for a few seconds, frowning.

_Hey, Grell. Why are you always staring in that mirror?_

_Because, SPEARS, some of us actually like to look professional before class!_

_I don't need a mirror to look right._

_Ugh, do you ever shut up about yourself? I'm sick of being your partner…you fucking newbie…._

A sigh escaped William, those days were long gone. Grell was so different back then; he was hostile and always angry, probably because he had such a hard time being accepted. Grell always acted like a smart-ass, and was never interested in girls, for obvious reasons.

William put on some pajama pants, sitting down on the bed. Grell entered the room, wearing a nightgown that was surprisingly conservative. It was red, cotton, and lace hung off of the edges. William coughed; covering his mouth _He's teasing me. Grell knows what he's been doing to me THE ENTIRE TIME HE'S IN THIS DAMN DISGUISE! _William clenched his teeth when Grell sat down next to him, his brown hair falling in waves dawn his back and curling ever so slightly at the ends. The sudden urge to run his fingers through that hair hit William like a truck. He couldn't take it, he just couldn-

"Is something the matter, Will?" Grell asked, peering at him through his glasses.

That was the final straw, William snapped "_Is there something wrong?_" he repeated mockingly "Of course there is, you stupid bastard! I'm sick of you! Sick of your games, sick of seeing your ugly face! Get the hell out of this room, you're sleeping on the couch!" His hands were curled into fists at his sides. Grell was staring at him in pure shock, his glasses slipping down the bridge of his nose. "GO!" William practically screamed, shaking with rage.

Still looking completely shocked, Grell stood up and left the room. William lay back on the bed _Where did that come from?_ he wondered, knowing he wasn't the type to yell. He slammed the mattress with one fist, still angry. He wondered briefly if he was angry at Grell or himself.

xxxxx

Grell growled to nothing in particular, storming down the stairs _What did I do? Nothing! I didn't even provoke Will that time! Is he on his period or something? _The very idea of William having a period helped to cheer Grell a little bit, enough so he could remember he was supposed to be a timid butler. He slowed his pace, allowing himself to look around the beautiful mansion.

Grell barely noticed the tug on the sleeve of his gown. He turned to see the maid _What was her name..? Mey-Rin, I think. _She tilted her head "Did you two have a fight?"

Grell blinked, surprised when he heard her voice. It wasn't nearly as shaky as it usually was; maybe she was just calmer at night. Grell shrugged "I-I suppose." he said quietly, not sure of what happened himself.

"Well, you shouldn't have to sleep on a couch. Come on." Mey-Rin held on to Grell's arm, walking to her room.

"But…you're female! And I'm-"

"I doubt it would be inappropriate. You're not interested in girls, are you?"

"Is it really that obvious?"

"Grell, you're wearing a nightgown, why wouldn't it be obvious?" Mey-Rin smiled, swinging Grell's arm back and forth as they entered the room. It was small, quarters for a servant, but it was quite quaint in its own way.

Mey-Rin smiled "You know, if you really want William to like you more, you shouldn't wear such a plane dress!"

"What? How-why-you!"

"I'm just saying, yes I am! You need to work hard!" Mey-Rin nodded, walking over to a closet and opening it, pulling out a satin nightgown "I bought this in the city, but red doesn't suit me too well; I'll leave the room, so try it on!" she gave it to Grell and left the room. Grell looked at the nightgown, it was gorgeous, no doubt, but a little too provocative for his role. Finally, he decided to put it on. It felt wonderful on his skin, and even though it was an awkward fit like all female clothing seemed to be, it wasn't too tight or loose, albeit a bit short. He looked at himself in a mirror at the edge of the room, smiling when he realized he could be good-looking in this form, too. _But…it's a bit more cute than sexy… _Grell realized.

After a while, Mey-Rin entered, and then squealed with delight "So cute, yes yes!" She said, stomping a foot. Grell blinked and Mey-Rin grabbed a brush "Let me braid your hair, pleeeaseeee…" She begged, not giving Grell much choice as she sat him down and began to brush through his hair. Strangely enough, it felt good, no one had ever brushed Grell's hair before, he had never even let his mum touch it.

About a minute passed until Mey-Rin spoke "I'm sorry…have I been rude? I never really had a female friend before…"

"Me neither." Grell replied without thinking.

"You haven't? But you're adora- oh my! Are you a natural readhead? Your roots!"

Grell realized with horror that he must have let a bit of his concentration slip, his hair must've began to turn red _Oh well, no turning back now_ "Uhm….yes, but red hair doesn't suit me…."

"Oh, come on! Tch, I think red hair is great! I love being a redhead, yes I do!"

Grell smiled _If only you knew…_ "The Madame didn't want me to have hair like hers, so I followed her wishes to the end, I suppose."

At this, Mey-Rin was silent, probably remembering only fond memories of Madame Red. After a while, she finished braiding Grell's hair and he looked in a mirror. He couldn't believe how small and innocent he looked, unable to help smiling "Thanks…"

"No problem~" Mey-Rin yawned "I think it's time to hit the hay, though. It's been a long day for me, and I bet it was that way for you, too." She went to her bed "Come on, turn the lights out on the way, okay?"

Grell stared at her for a few seconds before turning off the light and crawling into bed with her. He couldn't help but smile wider.

He had never had any female friends, he doubted any would accept the fact that he was gay…but now he had finally found one. Even if she was human, Grell was happy to have her.


	3. Chapter 3: Change

**Eeee! This chapter will make me sad to write, I'm not quite sure why. It's not a sad chapter…but….**

**Anyway, I know all two of my readers want some lemon yaoi goodness, it's coming! I swear! After this chapter, at least!**

_A man stood in an empty room, his arms crossed and eyes gleaming with impatience. He paid no attention to any of the small noises around the walls of his home, his focus on one thing and one thing only. He was not scared, as an American soldier, he had faced many frightening things before…_

Bardroy rubbed his hands together in front of the fire "It's so cold….." he muttered. He tried to focus on the crackling of the fire, wanting to keep himself here for as long as possible. He wondered if he felt guilty about the scene with Finny back in the greenhouse, it might be what was causing the immense discomfort clawing its way through the bottom of his stomach.

Finny, who had always been so open with his emotions before, had been impossible to get a read on after the kiss; he had simply looked at Bardroy with his wide green eyes, turned, and walked away. It had left Bardroy feeling extremely embarrassed _Hmph. How can a kid like him make me so damn afraid of confrontation? _he wondered, sighing. It was all so strange to him, and the fact that he was probably gay didn't make him feel any better about the whole situation.

_The man smiled once his guest arrived "It took you long enough" he muttered._

_A low hiss in reply "What do you want?"_

"_Your utter humiliation, you filthy demon."_

Bardroy tried to ignore the memories rushing through him. He wanted to forget all of it and just get on with his life, he would have been content to never see a demon again, _But I live with one…At least he has the power to conceal what he really is. _Bardroy couldn't help but smile, it was something he hadn't noticed at first, but there was a point where Sebastian had to take off his gloves, the mark and nails were a dead giveaway.

_Time is up…_ Bardroy realized with sadness heavy in his heart _That wish...it's been granted…_

It had taken him to realize that the clock had run out, why he felt so unwell lately "Please…" he said quietly to himself "Just give me more time…I don't want this to change…"

Bardroy had never imagined the complications with the contract he made so long ago. He didn't picture himself here, so many years later. He had forgotten everything.

In his sadness, Bardroy didn't notice William standing right beside him "I'm guessing you can't sleep?" William asked. He looked horrible, his hair slightly messy and his clothing a bit unkempt, as if he had been tossing and turning in bed trying so sleep.

Bardroy shrugged "Yeah, I've had a lot on my mind."

"You're not the only one." William sighed, pushing up his glasses.

"Is this about Grell?"

"How did you know that?" Williams voice immediately got suspicious and defensive, as if he thought Bardroy knew exactly what was going on. His eyes narrowed and Bardroy chuckled:

"Just a guess. Nothing more" He said with a smile. He let the room grow silent again for a few seconds more, enjoying the feel of heat on his hands and chest coming from the flames "So, how about you explain? How did Grell upset you, he doesn't seem the type to hurt anyone but himself…" his last words were tinged with a bit of curiosity that he couldn't hide.

"You have no idea…" Bardroy barely heard the words, William had muttered them almost inaudibly, before going back to a normal speaking voice "He can be quite petulant at times, and it gets on my nerves. Sometimes I feel like I'm his boss, not just his co-worker."

"So you guys work together?"

"Of course, why else would we come here together?"

Bardroy shrugged "So what's your job?"

William glared at him, obviously disliking the question. He didn't even come up with a fake answer, he just stood up "I need to go, I have some paperwork to do."

"For what job?"

Again, William ignored Bardroy outright. After he had completely left the room, Bardroy sighed again "Not suspicious at all…" he muttered _Oh well, at least that took my mind off of things…_

"_My utter humiliation? Perhaps you should be a bit more…specific?" The demon's teeth glinted in the light, staring at the soldier with hungry eyes. _

"_Well…" the man smiled, talking slowly as if giving a performance "My wish is for my demon to become human until the day I die. Nothing more, nothing less."_

The food was the biggest clue to Bardroy. It was disgusting to him, which took him by complete surprise. He was so used to eating human food just like they did…but those days were gone now. He stole a glance at his nails, thankful that they hadn't turned black yet; they were starting to turn grey, though. _Soon I'll have to wear gloves…_

That was when a sudden flash of realization hit him, he had been thinking back on the last few minutes. His mind had started working at an advanced pace again, his memory switching to a photographic one, like many demons had. He saw William's face. He saw Grell's face. _Those two are co-workers. They both wear glasses. They both have unusual yellow-green eyes._

A feral growl ripped through his throat- _They both happen to show up right as I am about to turn back into a demon. Sebastian has never spoken about Grell since Madame Red died. William dodged the questions about his job and why he is here. He regards Grell with an attitude not consistent with the way Grell is acting._

He remembered Grell complaining about having a white dress instead of a red one. Remembered the flash of red that would appear in Grell's hair every once in a while.

_Two grim reapers are wandering the mansion, presumably searching with me. Grell is faking a timid personality. I must regard both he and William with extreme caution and, if necessary, dispose of them._

His eyes traveled to the kitchen. _I'll take a few knives, my flamethrower would be too obvious. I'll need to kill everyone here, to get rid of any and all witnesses to the deaths of the reapers, since I doubt they'll die without a fight. Just to be safe._

Bardroy was moving now, walking to the kitchen and reaching into a drawer to grab one of the larger knives, just as he closed his hand around it-

"Bard? What are you still doing up?" Finny's voice cut through the silence, tinged with sleepiness "It's nighttime, you know. You need to sleep."

Bardroy stopped, looking at Finny like a deer in headlights. _I can't kill him…_ Bardroy looked at Finny, so fragile and innocent, and shook his head _How can I kill him? Or Mey-Rin, Agni, or Sohma? I might not be human any more, but they're still my friends….right?_

He didn't know what to think, millions of ideas, realizations, and random notes were going through his mind, confusing him and giving him a headache. He couldn't sort all of them out, he was angry and violent one second and melancholic the next. The room seemed to spin around him and he groaned in confusion "Help…me…"

"What?" Bardroy heard Finny's confusion, but lost all focus at that moment, falling to the floor.

His last thoughts before slipping into unconsciousness was the knowledge that without a contract to keep him in line, this would only get worse.

**Hmm, yeah. Bardroy's a demon, isn't that funderful? Also, he's not exactly…stable at the moment, so he's probably going to continue with murderous thoughts at random moments. Oh noes! This chapter was really short, but I think it's rather stand-alone.**


	4. Chapter 4: Too Soon

**(A/N: Warning, following chapter heavily M rated)**

William's footsteps echoed across the hallway, causing a feeling of isolation to consume him. He didn't mind it, he had grown so used to the feeling…he thought back on speaking with Bardroy, on all he had done. Concealing the fact that he was a Reaper was…new to him, actually…_If the vermin is unwilling to reveal itself, then neither am I._

Now he had a mission, and he would not falter when attempting to attain his goals. He knew it was his duty to investigate this mansion, and what better place than the room of the head demon himself. William chuckled, his facial expression not changing "A demon needing his own room…ridiculous." he muttered, opening the door to Sebastian's bedroom.

It was bleak, so very bleak, and seemed as if it hadn't been used in a long time. Except for one thing, a particular annoying factor in the room that he was rather hoping to avoid at the moment:

"Sutcliff, what the hell are you wearing?" He asked through clenched teeth, his tone completely formal. Those clothes weren't as conservative as they were before…no…these clothes suited the annoying Grell a little too well. It made it so much easier to get cross with the reaper the moment he laid eyes upon him.

"A nightgown?" Grell's reply was quiet and shy. _He still hasn't dropped his act?_ William's eyes narrowed-

"That's not a nightgown. Nightgowns cover more than that." he said, closing his eyes "Why are you down here?" he asked, trying to get the subject off of Grell's attire. In fact, he usually tried to avoid that subject in any given situation.

"Ah, I heard something down here, so I went to investigate. I was nearby, you know?"

William opened one eye _Doubtful._ he thought _You probably wanted to snoop around the demon's room. Let's hope it's for the same reason I am…for your sake, Grell._

The two of them stared at each other for several long seconds, neither of them willing to break the awkward silence that followed between them. At least, not until Grell had something stupid to say "Hey, do you know he keeps cats in his dresser?"

"….what?"

"Yeah, I found some cat fur and stuff; he might have let them out because he can't feed them or something."

"Demons don't keep cats, Sutcliff."

"Can't you start calling me Grell again? Sutcliff is so…formal!"

"No." William didn't betray any emotion as he answered Grell's question.

Grell let out a sigh of defeat, crossing his arms and sitting down on the bed, pouting. William couldn't take it any more…that outfit was driving him crazy. It was so….ugly on him "Sutcliff, change back into your normal clothing. That's an order. You look ridiculous."

"I do not!" Grell's high pitched complaint hurt William's ears. Grell clutched his original nightgown tightly; apparently he had carried it with him.

"Sutcliff!"

"No!" Grell's attitude was coming back quickly, his round glasses once again slipping down the bridge of his nose.

"Grell…." William growled "You do it. Right now. I won't have one of my coworkers looking like a-… looking like that."

A sudden paleness overtook Grell's features, probably realizing the word William had left unsaid. "Fine…" he nearly whispered, moving to take off the red nightgown.

William turned, almost on instinct. He wouldn't care if any other male were undressing in front of him, but Grell just seemed…wrong. Time and time again, he tried to convince himself that both versions of Grell were the same, one of which was just a disguise, but it never seemed to work. The red-haired original was just some annoying flaming sorry excuse for a man…but when he transformed, holding that disguise of such a feminine, clumsy, kind… _No._ William reprimanded himself _Stop right there. You shouldn't buy that. It's just an act, and a stupid one at that. It's a wonder he can even fool anyone._

"William?"

"_What?" _his words came out closer to a hiss than he had meant.

"I can't take it off…it's a bit…I don't know. It won't get off of me…" his tone was helpless, and surprisingly enough, void of the deception that William would have expected. He must truly be having trouble.

William let out a slow, drawn out sigh. He did not know how to explain his reluctance to turn around and help the young man struggling with the complicated mess of scant clothing that he wore.

On one hand, if he refused, it would be acknowledging the….er…femininity of Grell, something that he refused to do; or, William could help him and risk a lewd comment or insult about the "disrespect" of treating a "lady" in this manner.

He closed his eyes, annoyance strong in his features, eyebrow twitching.

"Sutcliff…" his voice was hesitant, but tinged with anger "…_honestly."_

He heard a mumbled reply, and didn't particularly care to hear it any louder.

Finally, he turned, his eyes closed "Just tell me what you need me to do." he said "I don't want to see you in such a pathetic state, so let's hurry up and get this over with."

He held one hand out, it twitched slightly as if it were ready to shoot back to his side at any given moment. In time, he felt the cool sensation of some jagged metal against the tip of his index finger.

"It's the back…" Grell's voice, obviously the disguised version, was as wavering and fearful as ever, like the whimper of an old dog "I can't unzip it all of the way…"

William grunted, which was the only reply he offered. He lightly ran his hand upwards in an attempt to find the small handle of the zipper. However, he realized too late that he overestimated the distance, the tips of his fingers gliding over the shivering flesh of the other Reaper's bare back. There was almost no friction stopping him, and his hand almost undertook the aforementioned shooting back that he had predicted.

However, something stopped him, and his hand lingered for a split-second too long, eyes snapping open in a desperate attempt to judge to position of his hand.

With his other hand, he pushed up his glasses, a habit he kept for the simple reason that perfect sight was an absolute necessity to him at all times.

For whatever reason, he once again imagined seeing the wild expanse of ridiculously red hair, the needlessly decorated glasses chain connected to the frame of the glasses belonging to the man in front of him.

No, no…that wasn't anywhere near what he saw. It was like seeing the painted portrait of a woman, the careful brush strokes of a determined painter capturing the sleek luminosity of the delicate skin of a lady's slender back.

Poetic terms never seemed to fail William at the most _annoying, inappropriate_ times.

Looking at nature, he would always find his mind drifting back to his heavy workload. But now, while right next to the most disgusting, useless, sorry excuse for a coworker

William had ever laid bespectacled eyes upon; there was nothing but artistic masterpiece invading the very cracks and crevices of his ill-suited mind…

Grell's head moved, not quite moving over his shoulder, but enough so the side of his cheek caught the light.

With an intake of breath that could have been read as anything, William realized that he had not removed his hand from Grell's back.

And he still didn't. Grimly, William realized just how horrifying he was acting.

But…his brain wasn't working quite right. He had the feeling of looking back to the past, his mind unable to recognize anything but a strange sensation that he refused to acknowledge. It was as if his stomach…it was getting pulled down, but not painfully so, and his hand seemed to follow his thoughts, not completely understanding its actions.

It was brushing the hair over the front of Grell's shoulder, bared in the struggle to remove his ridiculous article of clothing.

He couldn't belive that he didn't stop, his mind seemed to be fuzzing, blanking out at the most _inopportune_ moments.

Want. He had always hated want and need; he did not trust himself among these two concepts, plain and simple.

It was better to deny want; he had decided this long ago, to abandon play for work anc discipline.

Perhaps if he denied himself the pleasure that most of the fools at the office, most of the fools in the _world _chased after so recklessly, perhaps he would find something in life worth more than anyone else could possibly discover.

He had denied himself everything for so long, fought himself so hard for many, many years.

His brain, riddled with the feelings he so despised and barely understood, was in control, stripping him of any self control and controlling his every action.

At least, he hoped that he had no self control, perhaps that way he could provide himself with an excuse to escape his shame.

He hated shame as well.

Grell looked at him over his shoulder, eyes blank. He simply looked a bit confused, nothing more.

Hesitation struck him once gain, but not nearly as strong as before.

Once again, his hand slid along Grell's skin, slowly bringing the zipper down. He tugged at the sides of the dress; it dropped down to the floor effortlessly.

His brain was seemingly out of commission now, not his own in the slightest.

He would keep telling himself that, of course.

Even as he slowly brought one arm around Grell, bringing the shorter man closer to him, he would keep telling himself that.

His mouth lightly pressed against Grell's thin neck, the other man speaking for the first time in what seemed like ages:

"So this is how you like me, then?"

"I have no clue as to what mean." his voice was low, uninterested.

"Don't give me that", although he kept his voice as it usually was in his current state, his voice carried the bite Grell's voice always had when he was upset "Years and years passed with you barely noticing me."

"I think you noticed yourself enough for the two of us." He tilted his head, eyes looking up and down Grell's jaw line "You left me nothing to do but uphold the rules around you, you know. Not my fault." his words were quite simple, as if he felt no need to explain such a simple fact of life.

But William wasn't done, through his low purr of a voice bitter sarcasm roared, overshadowing voice with William's unique personality "It never really worked for you, did it?" he asked, touching the cheek facing away from him "Throwing yourself at others, acting erratically in a desperate bid for attention…"

There was an audible intake of breath from the other.

William's words continued, sharp now, biting "And the more you fight to get what you want, the harder it gets for you... and the harder you fight once again…" he moved forward, pushing Grell down upon the bed, hands tightly gripping his skinny wrists, causing Grell to give a _yelp_ of surprised "It's a cycle. A stupid, needless cycle. Unnecessary. Foolhardy…" His face was close to Grell's; he could see the pink haze filling in his pale features "You're so useless, Sutcliff… so damn useless…" the effect these words had on Grell were absolutely astounding. The man seemed to get…well, aroused by this stream of insults, his breathing speeding up, and he shivered at every touch William granted him.

"Will…" his voice was a squeak, so very weak.

"Always so very informal…" came the quiet reply, whispered directly into Grell's ear.

He looked at the reaper underneath him, scanning his body in an almost critical manner. Like most of the Dispatch, Grell's body was slender with muscles that couldn't easily be seen, only noticed by the strength of the body or power contained visibly in small actions.

The anatomy, though, seemed absolutely wrong to William, his brain telling him that he should be viewing the body of a woman (Although, that may have been even more foreign and strange, now that William thought about it).

His eyes traveled upward once again, surveying Grell in silence. His hands slid down Grell's sides, but he kept on staring into his eyes, waiting for some excuse to back off, waiting for even the simplest, subtlest sign of resistance.

Grell gave him none, although he still carried a look of complete shock.

Oh, how easy it would be to move off now, criticize the man working for him and save face.

But…at the same time, everything was just so _accessible_. So…right in front of him.

His lips met Grell's neck once again, William's own agitation becoming clear as dark, purplish marks began to appear down the side of the younger reaper's neck when William had kissed, violently sucking at the tender skin underneath until it was soaked with his own saliva, taste changing into a work, wet saltiness that was acceptable to William.

Grell's moans did not cease, his legs continued to shift, seeming more insistent with every passing moment.

William slowly sat up and begun taking off his own clothing. Of course, his hands never touched his glasses. Despite his strange desires, he was still a _Reaper._

His clothes came off painfully slowly, and he almost enjoyed the expression on Grell's face as he stripped on top of him. It was the closest thing to misery he had ever seen on the man.

Loosening his tie, he slowly removed it. Every article he took off was folded carefully and placed on the floor, since he would rather it there than on a demon's bed.

Grell let out a low whine, obviously impatient and embarrassed to be so on display. His knees were bent, he obviously had something to hide, and the thought that he was being even the slightest bit modest was laughable. But…with his current appearance, it only served to incite William's emotions further.

He leaned back to where he was, looking down on the brunette. He pressed his fingers against Grell's lips, forcing entrance, and Grell soon got the hint. Already, he began sucking on these fingers like a hungry baby on it's bottle, diligently and making as little mess as possible.

He took his fingers out of Grell's mouth slowly, letting a tiny, glistening trail of saliva connect his fingers and Grell's quivering mouth. The fingers moved down infuriatingly slowly, between Grell's legs, under his pulsing member, entering the younger man with a quiet, soft noise.

However, "quiet" would not be a word to describe Grell in this case. William hadn't bothered with many formalities; he had stuck three fingers in at once, his only intent to wet the area to make achieving his goal easier. Grell was letting out many squeaks and moans, it was obvious he was attempting to restrain himself.

Paying him little mind, William lifted Grell's legs "Oh, shut up." he grumbled as he slid his fingers out.

"P-please…"

Hearing the begging voice made William feel even more need, he thrust into Grell without another word, causing him to yet out a significantly louder yelp of pain "Sh-shoot…that h-hurts…"

"I told you to shut up. Only whimpers and moans are to be heard from you. Understand, Sutcliff?"

He received a nod, and he began to move, thrusting in and out again and again, until the man below him clawed at the bed sheets, mouth wide open and eyes wide, as if in great pain but not enough to tell William to stop.

It was almost embarrassing how difficult it was for him to last, and he realized with horror how little time had passed, only a minute or two, before the pressure became unbearable. He let out a grunt, grip tightening, feeling his seed soak Grell and the bed sheets below it.

It simply wasn't long at all…he had embarrassed himself.

So he straightened up, voice weaker than usual "Take care of everything else yourself." he said, grabbing his clothes. "I can't stand to look at you. You're almost worth taking my glasses off so I don't have to see." he didn't really know what he was saying, but didn't care, wiping himself off before putting his clothes back on and leaving, slamming the door behind him.

Demons never really fazed him, but now he was in a bad mood.

He'd slaughter this thing.

After all…that way he'd prove himself. He wasn't a disappointment, right?


	5. Chapter 5: Dinner

**Woah. No update for a while, haha. You can thank Furyfur for this getting put up.**

**So yeah. Enjoy.**

When Bardroy woke up, all he could sense was a staleness in the air. The staleness spread and crawled over his tongue, the smell invading his nose and burning his sore nostrils, slicing its way down his throat all the way down to his lungs until each breath made his chest feel sore, the air around him quickly making him feel ill. He groaned, the effort of making the small noise enough to send another wave of pain searing through him.

There was a pressure on his wrists. It wasn't an especially strong pressure, but when he tried to move his arms away from their position above his head, the weight on them seemed to increase tenfold. It was something warm, with a tiny beat wherever it made contact with Bard's skin. It was like a drumbeat with the simplest of cadences. Or a march. Ba-dum. Ba-dum. Badum. Left. Left. Left Right Left. Left- Left- Ba-dum Ba-dum- Ba-dum.

Curiosity peaking, he opened his eyes to see what was keeping him in place. He expected that it could be a variety of things- what he did not expect was the tiny blonde above him struggling to keep his arms down.

"Finny?" his voice cracked. He had forgotten about the young man's extraordinary strength. However, the moment he opened his eyes, Finny's grip on him weakened before he finally let go, staring down at him as if to make absolutely sure he was awake.

"Bard?" the other man's voice was a high, scared squeak "You awake?"

He huffed in response, not wanting to make any more noise until the pain that had an iron grip on his body let up.

"You were thrashing in your sleep!" Finny explained, eyes as wide as ever. "Wrecking stuff and- what's wrong? You're almost as strong as me now- and your nails changed colour, too! Are you sick? Should I call a doctor?"

Looking up at him, a soft noise escaped Bard's dry lips "...uh?"

With that, the worry apparent on Finny's face intensified "I'm going to call a doctor! Don't have any more fits or anything, okay?" he stood as he spoke, turning.

It took a few moments for the words to register in Bardroy's mind, panic flashing briefly through his mind when they did. He moved, intending to hold Finny back by the wrist. He achieved his intended result sooner than he expected. Much, much sooner. Within a split second, his hand had closed around the frail wrist of the shorter man, his grip firm "I'm fine." his voice was far lower than he intended, a guttural growl.

He didn't realize how tight his grip was until he felt Finny's wrist shaking against his skin. Bardroy winced "Shit- sorry." he let go, hands now straight against his sides "I'm fine. Don't need a doctor or nothin'."

Finny stared at him, starting to bite his lip after a few seconds, eyes begging the obvious question that piqued his curiousity before. Bardroy's nails.

It all just made him so angry. Frustration was bubbling within him, along with a frantic need to do something. He didn't know what, but he felt so antsy all of a sudden, and the constant questions were only making the urgency of the situation rise. He couldn't stand still. Couldn't wait for Finny to sort it all out. He could just kill Finny, yeah? That would stop the questions. That would! It would! Kill him and shut it up and get on with whatever he thought he was supposed to be doing!

No, wait. Finny wasn't prey. He couldn't go and kill him- he wasn't prey. Prey ran, and the little blonde was standing still. That wasn't normal. That wouldn't help- oh. He was hungry. He hadn't had a proper meal in years, after all. No wonder.

He could eat. He could take a meal from this house. It wouldn't be hard. It'd only take a second if he put his mind to it- the reapers wouldn't be any problem. They didn't look so tough.

"Bard?" one of Finny's hands was on Bardroy's chest now "Are you okay? I really think that I should call a-"

"We need to talk." he interrupted, voice much clearer now. He didn't bother slowing himself down, within a second he had chairs for both of them, placed so that they faced each other. He took a seat. Finny didn't even seem to notice the superhuman speed with which Bardroy worked- perhaps he was used to such things after living with Sebastian this long. Sebastian, the other demon. Why hadn't Bardroy noticed earlier?- losing his own memories shouldn't have made it hard to identify as one of his own.

He barely noticed Finny taking his seat, toying with the clips in his own hair as he waited for the man across from him to speak. He was frowning now, concerned, probably for the welfare of his friend. Is that what they were? Friends? Ugh- did that even matter any more? He was too busy being a demon to deal with such petty drama, he was embarrassed just to remember the thoughts he had had while near Finny just days before…

"I'm a demon." he tried to keep his voice calm and even, staring past Finny at the far wall.

No reaction. Bardroy looked at him again, curious as to why he didn't see Finny move even the slightest bit. He waited for Finny to speak, or at least acknowledge that he heard him.

"You sure are." Finny finally said, still watching him expectantly.

He already knew?! Bardroy's eyes widened, he sat there in shocked silence until he saw the confusion on Finny's face. "Like- seriously." he said slowly "I am a demon. From hell." his words were stiff, awkward. He didn't really know how to explain it much better- damn it! He was getting uneasy again.

"Bard, are you feeling all right?" the worry in his voice had returned.

Ugh! Bardroy gritted his teeth in frustration "I have somewhere to be. We'll talk about this when I get back. Tell no one."

"No-! I mean- you should stay here! You're obviously tired- you're not making any sense right now…"

Without looking back, Bardroy left. His mind was a machine by now, he had no energy to focus on extraneous details. The conversation ended. Time to go. As he stepped out into the snow, he noticed the lack of pain that such cold would normally offer him. Hm. No time to pay attention to that. He was hungry, he remembered, and he had a meal that wouldn't be difficult to collect at all.

After all, it belonged to him.

Eyes closing, he tilted his head back, feeling like he was melting away into the snow. He focused on disappearing, on letting his body lose itself until he felt solid ground beneath his boots.

He paused for a moment, looking down at himself. His clothes had not changed- hm. Perhaps this was what his meal wanted to see- Bardroy as he looked in his human life. A crooked grin appeared on his face when he remembered that what he wore was a chef's outfit. Fitting.

He strolled forward, seeing that his partner in this old contract was waiting for him "Couldn't let me do the honour of ferrying you over here, eh?" the demon asked, crooked grin still on his face as he approached the man "You're looking awfully good for someone your age, I must admit."

"I suppose my soul still feels young." The man said, staring up at him.

"You've caused a lot of trouble for me, you know."

"Of course. That's why I made that contract in the first place." The man punctuated this with a quiet chuckle, shaking his head.

"Was it worth it, though?" he kneeled down so he was looking the seated man in the eye "Your soul, just for an inconvenience to one demon?"

The man just stared at him.

"I mean," Bardroy tried not to sound too mean, but he couldn't keep a teasing edge out of his voice "you're stuck here with me now. That's all the afterlife you get."

"Your kind took the souls of everyone I cared to spend eternity with." he huffed "I'll share their fate, thank you."

"Hm." That made Bardroy's smile widen. This soul was a strong one, it had grieved for so long that it had so many walls built around it to hide its pain that the flavour became deep, intense, like fine wine aged perfectly.

The man didn't seem to have any more words to say. That was just fine. Bardroy leaned forward, drinking in his scent. Mmm...his frustration levels were lowering already. A low hissing noise escaped his lips, the smell of burning flesh hitting his nostrils as he felt his human form burn away, replaced by his true image. Without warning, he descended upon the figure in front of him, feeling it's delicate form rip under claws and teeth.

Satisfaction.

Bliss.

He had long forgotten the taste of a soul created in a contract- he was pleased by it. Immensely-

"Messy messy messy." cooed a voice nearby. He looked up, noticing a figure perched on a small, broken wall. He caught it's scent in the air, recognizing it as the smell of a demon of a much higher tier than him. There was another scent there too, though. Another demon.

"Done being a human, I see." Someone else approached. This area was obviously open to all by now- probably since the contract Bard had was over by now.

Without giving Bardroy a chance to speak, the first speaker- a female- continued "Heard you had a reaper infestation. Want us to take care of them for you? Sounds tasty…"

"Think you'll be in hell for a while?"

They were obviously trying to assert their dominance, he realized. The female looked ready to talk again without letting him answer. He couldn't submit so easily "No, I'm planning on returning. I can take care of them."

"Two reapers?" she smiled "Oh, dear, you might not want to run the risk...let my friend and I help you. We'll get rid of them good and proper."

"Unless you're trying to go back for another reason?" the other demon sneered.

"I see potential for another contract there." Bard replied stiffly.

"Hm…well, let us know if you need any help." a toothy grin "Reapers are my favourite. So don't you dare let them get away. Wasted food is just- ...hm…"

"I think she means to say that we'll be watching."

Bard stared at the two of them blankly. Who did they think they were "...sure." he said, taking a step back "Whatever you say."

He was gone within moments. He had work to do.


End file.
